Blogging once again! We're on the Grand Union again

I am sorry for the long gap in adding to this blog.  For reasons that I don't understand our laptop stopped picking up any wifi signals and that meant that we could not connect it to the internet.  Going home earlier this week I brought back our old and very slow laptop so we could connect once more.  And today we turned on the new laptop and it worked perfectly.  Funny things computers!

Our last proper posting was from Lechlade at the navigable limit of the Upper Thames.  Since then we've come back down the Thames and repeated our outward journey by going up the Oxford Canal.  As I type this we are moored in Braunston which probably is regarded as the centre of the English waterway network.

Having thought how best to bring the story up to date we thought that, rather than simply repeat the outward journey, we would show some fun pictures and wildlife photos that we've taken en route.  So here they are:

Especially further south there are now lots of red kites which were re-introduced in the Chilterns some years ago. They are truly magnificent birds and Helen was clever enough to take this picture as we cruised on the Thames.

Teasels are now flowering.  Before they produce the 'hairbrush' like head they briefly show these mauve flowers.  And the bees love them.

This dragon pedalo was heading from Lechlade to London with various crews to raise money for the charity Water Aid.  We saw them twice and the second time they were having a hard time making way against a fairly strong wind.

We saw these young foals among other horses below Heyford Common Lock on the Oxford Canal

We saw this bird when we walked into the village of Clifton to the pub called the Duke of Cumberland's Head.  We're not sure but we think it might be a juvenile wagtail, though which variety of wagtail we're not sure.  If you know better, do make a comment and let us know.

This sow was one of the pigs at the Pig Place which is beside the canal above Nell Bridge.  We've not stopped there, but there is a cafe and small shop.

These cows were paddling and drinking in the canal.  No wonder the Oxford tends to be a bit shallow!  A good way for a cow to cool off in this hot weather.

This sculpture of twisted wire is close to Banbury Lock in the centre of town.  It is called 'The Dancers'.

This bronze statue is also in Banbury.  It is of course of the 'fine lady on a white horse' except the horse is bronze not white.  We do think it is a fine statue though and has some interesting extra bits if you read the information board and look closely.  The little frog is easy to find but we couldn't see the moth.

Approaching Cropredy we met several flotillas of canoes, many of them really putting in an effort and going quite fast.  We even got splashed.  And look at our lovely flowers!

We get lots of favourable comments about our plastic ducks that live on the roof of Leo.  All of them are rescued from waterways around the country.  The one with the bow is called Cropredy because we picked her up in Cropredy Lock.  Every time we pass through that lock we offer the duck the chance to leave us but she always opts to stay put.  She normally lives down below but the others have magnets on their bottoms and live outside.

We often go for local walks and lately this is what the ground has looked like.  We do have walking boots onboard but it is ages since we've worn them.  Sandals are fine at the moment unless you fall in a crack.

OK, for variety here is a canal picture.  It was taken on the summit level of the Oxford Canal as we were waiting for a boat to come out of Fenny Compton 'Tunnel'.  When the canal was built this was a very narrow tunnel but it was opened out in the 19th century.  However parts of the cutting that remains are too narrow to pass another boat.

And finally Helen took this photo of some ducks on the back of a boat moored at Fenny Compton.

So we hope you have enjoyed this rather different post to bring you up to date with our wanderings.  Our aim from now is to go to Cambridge where our daughter, Lucy, lives.  This will take us south on the Grand Union to Gayton Junction where a flight of 17 narrow locks lead down to the River Nene.  From there it is downstream on the Nene to Peterborough, across the Middle levels and up the River Great Ouse and the River Cam to Cambridge.  So keep looking at this blog and we'll try to update it about twice a week.  But no promises as the computer could misfire again!